Improvement in apparatus for testing coal-oils and other mixed liquids



SMITH & JONES.

Coal Oil Tester.

No., 35,184. Patented May 6, 1862.

N. PETERS, Pnowmhngmpmr. wauhngwn, t:4 Cv

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE J. SMITH AND TVOODRUFF JONES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR TESTING COAL-OILS AND OTHER MIXED LIQUIDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,184, dated May 6, 1852.

.To a/ZZ whom it 77mg/ concern: j

Be it known that we, HORACE J. SMITH and i WOODRUFF JONES, both of the city of Phila'- delphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Apparatus tor Testing Coal-Oils and other Compound Liquids; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to I' the accompanying drawings, and to the letters l of reference marked thereon.

Our invention consists in determining the amount of volatile inflammable matter in compound liquids by means of a thermometer and a flame, the thermometer being applied to the liquids while heat imparted to the lat-ter, and the vapor generated by the heat being directed to the flame, which will cause 1 the vapor to explode, the number of degrees of heat indicated by the thermometer when the explosion takes place determining the l amount of volatile inflammable matter in the liquids.

In order to enable others to practice our invention, we will now proceed to describe the i I ward through the tube B, and, meeting the a1 r which passes the perforations of the latter,

manner of carrying it into effect.

On reference to thc acoompanying drawings, which f'orm a part of this specification,

Figure l is a vertical section of the instrument for testing coal-oil and other compound I liquids; Fig. 2, a front view; Fig. 3, a plan view, and Eig. -I a vertical section of' a modification of the instrument.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

On reference to lfigs. l, .I, and Il, A is a small vessel of tin or other suitable material for containing the coal-oil or other fluid to be tested, the vessel heilig' partially covered by a plate, a, from which projects a tube, B, and a plate, O, the level of the fluid in the vessel being designated by the line An ordinary thermometer consisting of the graduated plate D, with a glass tube, 1, is scoured to flanges e on the plate c in such a position that the bulb f shall be immersed in the fluid without touching the bottom of the vessel.

G is a small wick-tube secured to a crossbar, H, the lower end ot' the tube being immersed in the fluid and the upper end terminating at a point a short distance above the tube B, the latter being perforated at the base for the admission of air. The liquid should be poured into the vessel until its surface reaches the upper edge of the cross-bar H.

Coal-oil contains more or less benzine or naphtha, the presence of which not only detracts from the value of the oil as a marketable commodity, but increases its liability to explode. Itis desirable, therefore, for the purehaser to be made aware of the percentage of naphtha contained in the oil which he requires,

and this maybe readily ascertained by the above-described instrument.

In the present instance the vessel is illustrated as resting on a plate, I, attached to strips i, secured to a tube, K, the lower end of which rests on the burner of a coal-oil lamp in the same manner as an ordinary glass chimney. Although this method of applying heat to the vessel may be the most cleanly and safe, the vessel may be placed on a stove above a gas-light, or the heat may be imparted in any other manner. TVhen the oil in the vessel becomes heated, the vapors of the benzine o`r coal-naphtha will rise to the surface, pass upwill form an explosive mixture, which, coming in contact with the llame, will cause a slight report, and in most cases extinguish the flame. The more benzine or coal-naphtha contained in the coal-oil the less will be the degree of heat required to cause the eXplosion. By watching the mercury in the tube, therefore, and noting its position in respect to the graduated scale, the moment the explosion takes'place the percentage ot' napht-ha contained in the oil can be ascertained.

A table of reference setting forth the number of degrees of heat required to test coaloils containing different percentages of naphtha will of course be necessary to accompany the above-described instrument, the figures of the table being predetermined by proper chemical tests.

It is essential to the proper working of the apparatus that the mercury-bulb of the thermometer should be isolated from the vapors of naphtha; hence the plate C extends below the surface of the oil in the vessel and across the latter, thereby preventing the vapors from gaining access to the thermometer.

In the modified apparatus illustrated in Fig. JC a tube, L, is substituted for the plate C, and in place of the ordinary thermometer one so Constructed as to fitto the tube is used, @are being taken that the bulb of the glass tube is free from Contact with the bottom of the ressel and that the tube L projects so far below the surface of the oil that the thermometer'is isolated from the vapors of naphtha.

The applicability of the above-described apparatus to the testing of other compound fluids as Well as coal-oil with the View ot dej termining,l the quantity of volatile inflammable matter in such fluids will be apparent.

'e claim as our invention an d desire to secure by Letters Patent- Determiningl the amount ot' volatile inflammable matter in compound liquids by means of a thermometer and a flame, the thermometer being` applied to the liquid while the heat is .imparted to the latter, and' the vapor generated by the heat being di reoied to theiame, substantially as Set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presen ce olil two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE J. SMTTIT. v\V()ODRUFF JONES. 

